With student council duties winding down, Kaoru had heard about Nagumo's reform proposals from Tonokawa and Mizowaki.
The school had adopted most of his suggestions.
Nagumo's ideas seemed to align with the preferences of certain higher-ups.
The school would trial the changes next semester, though the main focus would likely be the new academic year.
A new year meant new students—and a better opportunity for the school to control the reform's impact.
Even so, Kaoru was still somewhat surprised by the student council's influence.
To think they could actually sway the school's decisions—it was a cut above the student councils of other high schools.
Before the closing ceremony, Nagumo finally showed up at the student council office.
"What kind of spell did you cast on Nazuna?"
The moment they met, Nagumo hurled the accusation at him, his face ashen.
Clearly, he knew winning back Asahina wouldn't be easy—a devastating blow for someone as prideful as him.
Recognizing the tension, Tonokawa and the others tactfully excused themselves.
They'd been under Nagumo's suspicion—and cold stares—for days now.
Moreover, for some reason, a slew of rumors had recently surfaced, nearly all targeting them.
For example, Class 2-A, dissatisfied with Nagumo's methods, decided to expel him.
Or the rumor that Nagumo believed there were at least six traitors in the class and planned to randomly eliminate a few students to intimidate the rest.
All sorts of rumors spread, yet Nagumo paid no attention.
Instead, he cast suspicious glances at Tonokawa and others, his tone almost cold, making the entire class uneasy.
Moreover, the ongoing tension between Nagumo and Asahina had begun affecting the class atmosphere.
Some were already questioning whether Nagumo could continue leading them.
Kaoru felt a tinge of regret.
Though he knew about these events, not being there in person left him with a sense of loss.
Gathering his thoughts, Kaoru answered Nagumo's question.
"I asked her if she liked you. She said no. Then I kissed her. That's how it happened."
In an instant, scorching blood surged through Nagumo's veins, pounding from his heart to his brain.
Veins throbbed on his neck and forehead as his entire body trembled, his gaze locked onto Kaoru with burning intensity.
"Heh… Mitoma, you've really outdone yourself. Treating a senpai like this—I've never met someone like you before." Nagumo was seething with rage, yet he forced a strained smile, barely containing himself.
"If you're after Nazuna, then you'll have to get through me first!"
At this moment, Ichinose Honami, worried that Nagumo might escalate things with Kaoru, stepped beside Kaoru and spoke up.
"Nagumo-senpai, please calm down. Asahina-senpai has always considered you her closest friend in her heart—"
"Calm down? Why should I?" Nagumo cut her off, his voice cold.
"The one who needs to stay calm here is you, Ichinose. Your man is cheating on you, and you're just going to pretend not to see it?"
The rumors about the two had naturally reached Nagumo's ears.
At first, he was overjoyed, rushing to share the "good news" with Asahina, expecting her to be disappointed.
Yet, Asahina remained unfazed, saying she had known all along.
Nagumo's heart plunged into a frozen abyss.
She already knew?
The implication was clear—Asahina didn't care that Kaoru had other women around him.
This left Nagumo utterly baffled.
Before, she had been disappointed in him, even disgusted by his womanizing ways.
So why was she suddenly so lenient with Kaoru?
Had she been lying to him all this time?
Now that another man was involved, she was just going to change her standards?
Fury burned within Nagumo, and today, he had finally come to the office, determined to settle things with Kaoru once and for all.
Only by proving his superiority could he make Asahina see that Mitoma was beneath him!
Now, seeing Ichinose shielding Kaoru, his resentment deepened.
This woman, who had never shown him any affection, was now throwing herself at Kaoru.
Even knowing Kaoru was unfaithful, she still chose to forgive him.
The thought made Nagumo's vision redden with rage.
Yet, the angrier he became, the more he felt an inexplicable sorrow creeping in.
He knew his emotions were spiraling out of control—and he was powerless to stop it.
However, whenever he recalled his inexplicable lack of reaction toward women and witnessed Kaoru forcibly kissing his childhood friend, he felt like a cuckolded eunuch, his heart seething with unspoken frustration.
"I didn't mean it that way. Asahina-senpai's thoughts are actually—"
"Enough, Ichinose. You have no right to speak to me. You can't even control your own man—were you blackmailed by him?" Nagumo Miyabi sneered coldly.
"Did he exploit some leverage over you to bully you? Is that why you revealed your secrets to everyone—because of his mission?"
If it were Nagumo, he had a hundred ways to manipulate Ichinose.
For instance, while the girl was yielding, he could take compromising photos or videos.
Whether to continue threatening Ichinose Honami or to simply enjoy them in private—both were appealing options.
Alternatively, he could simply use Class 1-B as leverage against her.
Nagumo had a decent grasp of her personality—if he expelled a classmate right in front of her, she'd probably break down.
Thus, Nagumo assumed Kaoru had employed similar tactics.
Otherwise, it was hard to explain why Ichinose would allow him to have his way with multiple women.
Just as Ichinose was about to retort, Kaoru covered her mouth and turned to Nagumo.
"Do I need your permission to do anything with my senpai?"
"Hahaha, she and I are childhood friends—ten years of history. What right do you have to strut around here like you own the place?" Nagumo laughed in anger.
"Don't think I don't know—even Tonokawa has become your pawn. You want me expelled? Fine! Why wouldn't I dare to face you in a challenge?"
With that, Nagumo raised his eyebrows, openly provoking Kaoru.
"Let's settle this. Either I drive you out of this school, or you kick me out. Whoever stays gets to keep Nazuna!"
Kaoru regarded him calmly.
Even now, Nagumo hadn't realized the truth—that simply demonstrating his abilities and charm wouldn't make Asahina Nazuna change her mind.
No, in fact, Nagumo still saw Asahina as his possession and was now trying to snatch her back from Mitoma.
That was why he wasn't fixated on pursuing Asahina directly—he believed defeating Kaoru would resolve everything.
Unfortunately for him, his assumption was flawed.
Asahina harbored no genuine romantic feelings for him.
To her, he was just a childhood friend.
"Fine."
Kaoru accepted Nagumo's challenge.
In truth, the two were already like fire and water—even without this, they would have clashed violently.
Today merely marked the official start of their war.
Hearing this, a faint smile flickered across Nagumo's face before his eyes darkened with malice.
Expelling someone? That was his specialty.
"However, there's one thing I should warn you about," Kaoru suddenly added.
"Asahina-senpai doesn't belong to anyone right now. Even if I stay, I won't force her soul to submit to me."
Everyone had selfish desires, but Kaoru knew his limits.
If she didn't love him, there was no point demanding absolute loyalty.
Nagumo didn't grasp his meaning, though he caught the words "stay" clearly.
His face twisted into a sneer, assuming Kaoru was overconfident about winning.
"Just wait. Next semester's exams won't be so easy for you."
After speaking, Nagumo turned and left the office, not wanting to see the detestable Kaoru any longer.
Kaoru released Ichinose Honami, whose expression was now somewhat complicated as she slightly lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Faced with Kaoru's apology, Ichinose Honami raised her delicate face and whispered.
"There's no need to apologize, is there?"
"It was my fault for causing trouble, dragging you into helping me, especially since I cheated first." Kaoru felt quite awkward—here was his official partner standing up for him and his mistress.
"Kaoru didn't cheat." Ichinose Honami denied his words.
"We were never in a proper relationship to begin with, and you didn't hide anything from me afterward. I allowed your behavior, so you didn't cheat."
"But you're still angry, right?" Kaoru tentatively poked her cheek.
"I am a little angry..." Ichinose murmured. "If Kaoru were to cruelly abandon another girl who likes him because of me, I'd feel guilty."
Yes, Kaoru's assessment of her wasn't wrong.
The girl's sense of morality was too high.
She couldn't pursue her own happiness at the cost of others' pain, especially when it involved her friends.
Ichinose Honami had already stopped thinking about it.
She figured that if Kaoru could resolve the issues of maintaining a harem, agreeing to it wouldn't be so bad.
As long as everyone could be happy, wasn't that enough?
Kaoru suddenly embraced the girl.
At this moment, he didn't know what to say—he truly was a scumbag.
Sometimes, he even wondered if he should be even worse, so he wouldn't have to care about their feelings and could do whatever he wanted.
However, what attracted him to the girl wasn't her alluring body but her reactions, her genuine emotions.
These made Kaoru feel like he wasn't facing a talking doll but a living, breathing person.
"Don't hug me here. They'll come in soon." Ichinose blushed slightly, though she could faintly sense Kaoru's emotions, making her heart feel light.
"Then just one kiss." Kaoru lifted her chin with one hand while the other slid through her hair to cradle the back of her head, tilting her face up slightly.
Her lips were moist and flushed, tempting him to steal a kiss.
The gesture reminded Ichinose of that time, and her face flushed red.
"Mmm..."
After a while, the girl covered her face, her ears burning red.
She could feel something pressing against her lower abdomen, while Kaoru shamelessly continued holding her.
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